And one-half to the western gas



Ap 16, 1929. c. w. ANDREWS Er AL METHOD 0F GENEHATING'GAS Filed July. s. 1926,

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April 16, 1929. c. w. ANDREWS El' AL METHOD 015' GENERATING' GAS Filed July 3. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet mmm y x mmm l Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. ANDREWS, OF ,DULUTI-I, MINNESOTArAND WILLIAM B; CHAPMAN, OF JACKSON-HEIGl-TS, NEW' YORK, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-HALF TO. H. A. BRASSERT & `COIVJIIl-ltlc, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS, AND ONEHALF TO THE WESTERN GAS i CONSTRUCTION COMEANY, A.CORPORATION OF INDIANA.`

. METHOD or GENERATNG ons.

Application led J'iuly 3,

The primary object of the invention is" to i provide a `method whereby a gas generator .may be operated under such conditions as to so control the formation of clinkers as to prevent the `formation of the large olinkers which tend to form in the ash bed, and lower down the generator periodically and `take out the clinkers manually with bars and Sledge y lVe have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a gas generator adapted to be operated in accordance with the invention7 but it should be understood that this particular gas generator is merely typical of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention, and that the principles of the invention are not confined thereto. ln the drawings Fig. l isa, central Vertical sectional view `showing the general construction of a gas generator adapted to be operated in accordance with the invention. y

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views, partly diagrammatic, respectively showing the full height of a water gas `generator and gas produc-er adapted to carry out the process of the present invention. l

generators have been operatedwith relativcly thick ash beds, with the result .that

the ash in the lower partsof the ash bed has `been relatively cold, and although such ash beds `have been agitated to seine extent 'from underneath, this agitation has not proved etfccti in breakin@ ii i ver laroc clinkers Jar- E" t b ticularly ifnwater gas generation when once kthey have been loiiiicd, and the oiloit has generally beeniiiadc to minimize the formation of large cliiikers by keeping the teiiipcrat-ures within the generator as low as possible While stili within the li mits necessary for producing a ronnncrcial grade of gas, the idea being that il' the ash content of the fuel bed was kept below .i s liquefying teiiiperature.v there would not be so many large clinker masses formed.

`horeover it has been customary `to operate fin water generators.` so as to maintain under the fire bed a bed of thoroughly burned fuel. deep enough to subiiierge the ash agitat- 1926.y serieu No. 120,291.

inginember, therebyreiidering it unnecessary to watercool said member. A,

According to the present invention the Vgas generator is operated under such conditions that the temperature of the hottestv zone of the fuel bed for the most part is Awell above the liquefying point of its ash content, Wliereby liquid `ash tends to run down in little rivuletsfroin the hottest zone of the fuel bed, to a slightly cooler zone directlyybeneath the same which lattery zone,.although somewhat below theliquefying point of thelash, nevertheless vis sufliciently hot to permit the liquid ash, trickling into said Zone, to continue its downward flow without losing its mobility until itreaches the small clinkers and partially burned fuelin the neighborhood of the agitatiiig member, and agitated b y it. ,The melting point of ash in different grades of coal and coke as usually employed, runs between about 1900-2700"` F. This zoneof the ash bed is then subjected to the direct action of an agitating member which sweeps through the slowly solidifying` ash, before it can run together and solidify into large masses that cannot be readily broken up. y f j I 4 lVe preferito operate the gas generator in such manner *that a very thin ash and clinker bed is maintained. y It is not allowed tobecome thick as is customary in prior practice.

The solidifying zone above mentioned will at rcld'heat, with the result that the generator has no thick cold ash bed as heretofore. i The i agitatiiig meinbeijlocated directly over the generator grate, is Where it will continually break up clinkeis as aforesaid, and also thoroughly agitato the lower portion of the lire bcdand assist in the uniform removal of the clinker and ash due to its iip-and-out-l stroking action, thereby maintaining good gas making conditions in the fire bed. The thin ash bed and the` continuous agitation of the fire bed make it possible to carryl a greatly reduced depth of fire.

By supplying air in suilicient quantity to maintain an ash liquefying zonein the fuel bed, and ejecting clinker .andashat such-rate that the soldifyingfzoneWillhbe -shallow and 9 ind i kept at a proper heat, the same agitating member may serve to Aperform continuously all lof the above mentioned functions of preventin'gtheA formation of large clinkers by breaking up the clinkers as they form, agitating the fuel bedand assisting` in the removal of the clinker and ash. F or example, from 30` to 50` cubic feet of air (atatmospheric pressure and room temperature) may be used per pound of total steam, the smaller amount of air being used for fuel of lowash melting point and the larger amounts for fuels of higher `ash melting point. Agitation in this invention is not fthrough the medium of the ash as heretofore, but mostly through the n medium of the partially consumed, 'but still burning, fuel.

The amount of steam fed into the bottom of the generator may also be regulated to ycontrol temperature conditions within the generator, the steam acting as a cooling mediunuwhereas the an' fed 1n acts as a heating y y medium.

i fic v-In the production of water gas, furtheranore, the up and down runs may be proportioned to maintain ash liquefying and solidifying temperature conditions as above described, so'that' the clinkers will be properly kbroken up by the agitating member. The production of water gas usually involves a cycle of operations over a period of three to eight minutes, the first operation being the passing of a blast of air upwardly through the ash and fuel beds,` `another operation be ing an .upward run of steam, anda third op- Leration being al downward run of steam, the

above operations usually taking up about the same amount of time, the up and down steam beingabout the samein quantity, according to Vprior practice.

In accordance with the present invention 'I the upward blast of air will be sufficient in quantity to raise -the hottest .Zonev in the fuel agitating member.

obtained with but twenty per cent bed to such a temperature as may be required cto liquefy the major portion of the ash con- J tent of the fuel bed. T his temperature, with *some grades of'cole', maybe for example,

from aboutQ'OOO to 3000.0 The quantity of the up-runstean'i maybe v(but is not neces sarily) substantially `lessened to assist in preventing the lower Zone in the fire bed from cooling off sufficiently to unduly check the flow of the molten clinker streams before comingwithin the radius ofiaction of the Good results have been of-up-steam. lhis inalres a sufficiently 1ncreased proportion of down-steam, so that it willfcarry down from the' upper zones sufficient sensible heat to vassist materially in maintaining at a red heat the major portion of the clinker and ash upon the grate. Be-

` cause of the high temperature maintained in the bottom of the fire, the steam up-runs1may be entirelyomittedif blue water gas is de- .sired, or if the gas connections are arranged to pass part or allof the down-run water gas through the carburetor. This does not preclude removing gas from the ash pit by uppurges. This unusually large percentage of down run steam greatly increases the efficiency of water gas generation.4 rlhe usual practice in the operation of present day water gas generators involves not more than a 60% ratio of down-run steam to total steam supplied.

Itv hasbeen `found with certain fuels that vgases made infa deep .tire bed of the above with some fuels to carry the usual depth of i lire bed, which is eight to ten (10) feet, 1n order to obtain a satisfactory quality of gas; a satisfactory quality of gas has been obtained with one half the usual vdepth ofl fire bed. VThis reduces the `pressnore drop through the fire bed and also reduces the combustible content of the blast gases leaving the fuel bed, .thus increasingthe eliicieney of the operation by developing more heat in the fire bed, and carrying away less energy in the blast gases. lor example, the blast gases may contain about 14% C@ and 14% 2. The invention as illustrated may be carried out in a gasv generator similar to the lill) one more fully described in our copending application, Serial Number 737,238, filed ASeptenvfiber 12, 1924, entitled Gas generator and accordingly the structural features of the generator will bedescribed only ina general way herein.

ing` the fuel and ash beds and a stationary grate 2 through which air and steam will be passed as previously described'in` connection withthe production ofwater gas. As shown a distributing chamber 23 underlies the grate 2 and is surrounded by an annular ash chainber el into which a portion of the ashwill be deposited as hereinafter described. A certain amount of ash will also pass down through the grate A2 into the chamber 3 The agitating member 5 is shown in the form of a water cooled beam extending substantially'diametrically over the `Ojrate and `secured to a drive ring @which surrounds the grate and is rotatably mounted upon the bearing ring 7 Suitable water cooling conllt) rllhe gas generatoris shown as provided with side walls 1 enclos-v neetions S may be lcd through chamber 3 to the agitating memberp.

In the operation of the-generator a zone 9 of the fuel bed which extends down approximately to the line 10 indicated on the y drawings, will be maintained at a heat suf- ,ficlent to-liquefy atleast most of its ash content, with the result that small streams of the liquid ash run downinto the bed or zone 11 beneath the line 10 indicated upon the drawings, which is maintained at a tei1iperature somewhat below the liqi'iefying temperature of the ash (2000 l?. more or less, depending upon the melting pointfof the ash), but yet at a red heat suflicient `to pre- :veiit the'ash from cooling` and taking a set tooquickly The agitating member 5 ro- `tates within` the above mentioned Zone 11 `and therefore directly engages and breaks up the solidifying ashbeforoit can forni into large clinkersn The beain should be Yat a red heat,

made `of substantial thickness and as shown its forward surfaces preferably are inclined, whereby it exerts a substantial upsstroking effect which `extends at least into the lower portion-of the Zone 9 and assists in maint taining good gas making conditions therein.

The beam is :also outstroking in its` action and tends to crowd the ash outwardly beyond the periphery of grate 2, from whence the ash may pass downwardly through an annular ash discharge opening' 12 to a trough 13 provided in connection` with i the drive ring 5, The rate of ash removal may be controlled by removing ash in any suitable man- Y ner in measured quantities from the trough 13, thereby permitting' further ash to pass out from the ash bed through the discharge opening 12.

As previously stated, thc ash preferably ejected from the generator at such rate that the zone 11, in whichthe agitating member operates, is maintained at a shallow depth, whereby the contents ot the generator are p substantially down to the grate 2.

walls sui'rounding` the agitating member `5,

' 11i in an annular wear member 15.

up which could cooled portion of the .generator wall-into the `radius `of action Vof ther agitating` member ,without forming objectionable` `dei-.posits as` i aforesaid. 659Al A generator, operated` in the above manner,

As shown the "iortion of the generator a l i therefore, may be run continuously, the ash being mechanically removed at theproper rate and the fuel and ash beds mechanically agitated from underneath by the beain5, to

good gas making .con-i `dit-ions. i

assist in maintaining It has lone been recoenized that the'socalled slagging producer is the most efficient type, due to the extremely high temperatures necessary for liquifying the entire ash coiitent of the-fuel, but hitherto this type of producer has not proven commercial because of the cost and extreme diliculty of obtaining the required degree of fluidity with most fuels. A modified slagging type is now made possibleV by the Vcombination of mechanical agitation and proportioning of the blast, and up and down runs above described.' This .iniproved method has all of the advantages ot the slagging producer and none of its disadvantages, and therefore forms an important part of this invention.

In Fig. 2 we have shown in a general way, awater gas generator having the parts more fully described above in connection with Fig. 1, and also having in its dome at thetoppa steam inlet pipe 16 and a similar steam inlet pipe 17 in chamber 3 above described. A gas and blast outlet conduit 18 is also indicated at the to and air and as inletand outlet .con`

duits 18a at the bottom, communicating-with chamber 3. Fig. 2 also shows the ash liquefying zone 9 and ash solidify-ing zone 10-in proper relation to the full height of the firebed, the upperzone of which rcbed is illus- 1 `trated at 19, and Fig. `2 also indicates diagraimnatically at 20, molten` ash running down from the ash liquefying zone 9 into the range of action of the agitatinggiiieinber- 5.

Fig. 3 shows an apparatus similarto that of Fig. 2 used for making producer gas,the various numerals denoting the saine parts as in Fig. A2 wit-h the exception that the upper lirebed zone 19lL otFig. 3, will be somewhat shallower ythan the corresponding ircbed zone 19` of Fig'. 2; i i

y lVliile the invention has been describedias carried out by means of a certain construction of gas generator, it will be obvioustliatinany changes may be made therein without departingfrom its principles as set forth in the appended claims. y i

le claim: i 1. The method of making water in a gas generator having' a ircbed containing av zone at an intermediate level extending substantially across the hrebed and azonecontaining ash underneath said firstmentioned pzone, which coinprisesair blasting the firebed to maintain the first mentioned 'zone at a tem-- perature sufficient to liquefy a substantial portion of its ash content,` passing the liquefied ash content` downwardly into said second mentioned Zone, maintaining the second mentioned Zone at a red heat somewhat below the llt) ash solidifying temperature, whereby ash p passing downwardly from the first mentioned 4zone atan intermediatelevel and a second cooler zone containing ash underneath said first mentioned Zone, which comprises air blasting thefuel bed to maintain the first mentioned Zone at a temperature sufhcient to Vliquefy a substantial portion of its ash content,`passing the liquefied ash content downwardly into said second mentioned zone to solidify-it, and breaking up the-clinkers in said second mentioned` Zone before large masses can form, and passing steam through the heated iirebed, and thereby forming water gas.

3. The method `of making water gasin a' generator-having a irebed containing azone at an intermediate level anda second cooler vZone containing ash underneath said first mentionedzone, which comprises air-blasting lthe firebed, passing steam through the firebed and employing more than a ratio of down-run steam to'total steam supplied, to maintain said irst mentioned Zone. at a tem- Vperature suiicient to liquefy a substantial portion ofthe ash content ofthe fuel, passing the liquefied ash content downwardlyinto said second mentioned Zone, 'and breaking up the clinkers in said second mentioned zone before large masses can form.

4;.The method of making water gas in a gas generator having a hrebed, which coinprises removing ash from the firebed at a rate suiiicient to leave only a small amount of ash attlie bottom of the generator, passing air upwardly through theilirebed to heat a Zone at an intermediate level therein to a temperature sufficient to liquefy a substantial portion of its ash content, then passing steam inv upward -anddownward runs through the firebed, the upward run vof steam being suii'iciently small and therd'ownward run sulficiently large in quantity to maintain `a lower Zone inthe firebed `beneath said first menvtioned'zoiie, at a red heat somewhat under the solidifying point of the ash, passing the liqiiefied asli content downwardly from said lirst mentioned `zone to said second mentioned zone, `and passing an agitating member through said second m-entioned Zone to engage and breakup the clinkers before large vmasses can iform therein. i

5. `The method of making water gas in a 7 gas generator having la firebedfwhich comprises maintaining a zone at an intermediate r level in the rebed at a temperatur-e sutlicient to liquefy a substantial portion of itsash content, `passing the liquefied ash content downwardly from said zoneto solidify the same, removing ash'from the bottom of the i'ir-ebed at a rate sufficient to leave at the bottom of the generator only a small amount of ash at a temperaturey somewhat below the ash solidifying point,.passing an upstroking agitating member through the bottom ofthe firebed, to engage and break up the solidified clinkers which tend to form and agitate the hrebed from underneath and assist in the removal of the ash, and passing steam through the heated irebed, and thereby forming watervgas.v

6. The method of making water gas in a gas generator having a rebed and an agitating member operating in the lower portion of such` lirebed, which comprises cooling the walls of the generator in the region of the agitating member, air-blasting the firebed and maintaininga `.Zone therein at an intermediate level at a temperature sufficiently high to liquefy a substantial portion of its ash content, passing said liquefied ash content downwardly from said Zone along the parts of the firebed enclosing walls which are immediately above the aforesaid water cooled walls, to the vicinity of said agitating member, without solidifying substantially upon the walls above the water cooled areas thereof, andv moving said agitating member through the lower portion of the firebed to engage and break up vclinliers` before large Vmasses can form, and passing steam through the heated irebed, and thereby forming'water gas;V

7 rlhe method of making water gas in a gas generator having a firebed and an agitating member operating in the. lower portion of the irebed, which comprises proportioning alternate flows of air and steam through the firebed so as to maintain an ash liquefying Zone at an intermediate level-in the lirebed and a second lower zone of somewhat less temperature in th-e vicinity of the agitating member, passing the liquefied ash content downwardly y vfrom said first mentioned Zone to said second mentioned zone',l moving said agit-ating inember to engage the solidifying ash and break up clinkers, and removing clinker and ash from said lower zone substantially as fastfas theyv are formed therein.

8. The method of making water gas ina gas generator having a rebed resting upon a grate and an agitating member moving ovei' said grate, which comprises keeping the hottest Zone of the liiebed lcw down near the grate by removing the ashes as fastas they forni on said grate, passing steam through the firebed and using more than a 60% ratio of down-run steam to total steam supplied to the firebed, and decreasing the amount of uprun steam accordingly, and agitat-ing the bottom ofthe firebed to break up the clinkers while hot and before large masses can form.

9. The method of making water gas ina gas generator having a tirebed, which comvao prises air-blasting and passing steam through. the firebed to maintain a zone at an intermediate level therein at a temperature tating the rebed to prevent blow-holes and break up and remove clinkers while hot and i before large masses can form, and preventing said high temperature and absence of blowholes from resulting in blast gases having over 14% of CO by carrying a relatively thin firebed.

10. The method of making water gas in a gas generator having a relatively thin firebed, which consists in air-blasting the irebed and maintaining a zone therein at an intermediate level ata suticiently high temperature to liquefy a substantial portion of its ash content, passing the liqueed ash content downwardly to a solidifying zone beneath said first mentioned zone and passing an agitating member through said solidifying zone to break up the clinkers before large 'masses are formed, and passing steam through the heated firebed, and thereby forming water gas.

l1. The method of making water gas in a gas generator having a relatively thin lirebed, which consists in air-blasting the firebed and maintaining a zone therein at an intermediate level at a sutliciently high temperature to liquefy a substantial portion of its ash content, passing the liquefied ash content downwardly to a soliditying zone beneath said first mentioned zone, passing an agitating member through said solidifying zone to break up the chnkers before large masses are formed and removing the ashes from the bottom ot the iirebed as fast as they are formed, and passing steam through the heated irehed7 and thereby forming water Gas.

b 12. The method of making water gas in a gas generator having a relatively thin lirebed which comprises proportioning alternate flows of air and steam to maintain a zone at an inte mediate level in the irebed at a temperature sufficient to liquefy a substantial portion ol its ash content, and agitating the iirebedin an upward direction from underneath so that the above conditions of operation will cooperate to avoid the production of blast gases containing more than 14% CO.

13. In a method of making water-gas in a gas generator, the steps comprising subjeeting the bottom zone ot the fuel-bed to a continuous agitating and crushing action, to crush ash-elinker forming near such agitating and crushing zone, continuously discharging the ash and crushed clinkers from said Acrushing zone, and supplying tip-steam in such low amount that, with the given air-supply and down-steam and given fuel, there is maintained just above said crushing zone a hot zone that liqueiies ash and causes such liqueiied ash to descend substantially to the crushing zone before soliditying into clinker of greater bulk than is crushed by the aforesaid Crushing action.

la. In a method oit making water gas in a generator having a grate and a fuel bed supported thereon the steps which comprise: maintaining a Zone of red heat in the fuel bed imn'iediately above said grate, maintaining a zene ot ash melting heat in the fuel bed above said zone of red heat whereby the molten ash Vruns down into said zone ot' red heat, and ash melted in said melting Zone is prevented from soliditying in masses too large to be crushed, and continuously crushing and removing` solidified ash from said zone of red heat at a rate suliicient to prevent its accumulation in said generator, and passing steam through theheated iirebed, and

thereby forming water gas.

Executed at Chicago in the county ot Cook and State of `Illinois this 30th day of June,

CHARLES W. ANDREWS. VILLIAlv/t B. CHAPMAN. 

